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Examining the Origins of Flowering Plants
Category(-ies): Botanical Garden News , In the Media
Excerpted from this Botany Photo of the Day:
“...[A] team of [UBC BGCPR-led] researchers has a paper being published in the March 15, 2007 edition of Nature, entitled “Hydatellaceae identified as a new branch near the base of the angiosperm phylogenetic tree”. These dwarf aquatic plants found in Australia, New Zealand and India were once thought to be in the order of plants that included the grasses, sedges, bromeliads and rushes (the Poales). Through an incongruous result noted when studying the relationships between early flowering plants, the UBC researchers asked one of the most important questions in science (“Why?”) and decided to investigate further. What they discovered was that the Hydatellaceae are a previously unrecognized ancient lineage of flowering plants – so ancient that they predate the “big split” between the monocots and dicots (or ex-dicots, as is now recognized) in the evolution of flowering plants, and are instead more closely related to the Nymphaeaceae, or water lilies. As Sean states in the UBC press release, ‘For botanists, this is like finding something you thought was a lizard is actually a living dinosaur.’”
Follow news coverage of this story, see more photographs and learn more on UBC Botanical Garden's page dedicated to the Hydatellaceae. News items will be updated on this page as links are made available.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:02 PM on March 14, 2007
The Latest Export From China - Garden Plants
Category(-ies): Botanical Garden News , In the Media , Interviews
“Western explorers to China's remote regions form a pantheon of horticultural Indiana Joneses.”
So writes Andrew Higgins in a July 14, 2005 Washington Post article entitled “The Latest Export From China - Garden Plants” (registration required). The subject of the article is a review of UBC Botanical Garden's recently-released book, “The Jade Garden”. Written by three of UBC Botanical Garden's experienced horticulturists, the book illustrates one hundred and fifty little-known, ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials from Asia that ought to receive a more-prominent place in today's gardens.
The Jade Garden is available from the Shop in the Garden and other fine bookstores.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:12 AM on July 14, 2005
Endangered Sri Lankan Plants Live On in New Flower
Category(-ies): Botanical Garden News , In the Media
From an article in UBC Reports, written by Brian Lin:
“If you think naming your pet is stressful, try naming an entire species of flowers.
That's the task faced by UBC assistant professor Andrew Riseman at the Botanical Garden in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences**. But you won't hear him complain, because it took him a lot more work to create the flower he now has the privilege to name and is about to commercialize.
‘For the common name, I'm thinking of using something that has to do with the flower's vibrant colour, maybe a play on words from the blues genre,’ says Riseman. ‘However, I'd also like a name that honours Sri Lanka, where the five species of exacum used to create the new flower originated.’”
Continue reading the article: Endangered Sri Lankan Plants Live On in New Flower
** The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences reported in the article has changed its name to The Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:46 AM on July 7, 2005
Glacial erratic story
Category(-ies): In the Media , Local Interest
An independent newspaper serving the residents of UBC and surrounding area, the V6T News, includes an excellent article on the newly placed glacial erratic at UBC Botanical Garden. Well worth reading for the reminder that even though a botanical garden is widely cited as a collection of plants and landmark objects, it is also a collection of stories, in this case both personal and historical.
A few more links: the original announcement about the glacial erratic, and some photographs from the day of delivery of the erratic.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:27 PM on June 9, 2005
Spring!
Category(-ies): In the Media
David Tarrant, UBC Botanical Garden's Programs and Public Relations Coordinator and long-time host of CBC's Canadian Gardener, returns to television with a series entitled “Spring”, beginning March 20 on HGTV Canada.
The series follows David as he travels around the world in search of spring, from Chile to Tasmania, from South Africa to Vancouver Island, from Greece to Newfoundland and 7 other global destinations.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:18 AM on March 17, 2004
Weird Plants!
Category(-ies): In the Media
Interested in weird plants at UBC and around the world? Read this article from the National Geographic web site.
Continue reading "Weird Plants!"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:25 PM on September 5, 2003